The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories

The Country of the Pointed Firs is the most perfect piece of writing I have ever come across. This is what is meant by the adage: "write what you know about." Well, Sarah was born and raised in Maine and that is what she wrote about - the place and its quirky inhabitants. This (and all of Sarah's works) are gems, each piece a perfectly manufactured nugget of a time and place that no longer exists but continues to live through her works. I've never encountered another writer like her. What a discovery and what a shame that she is so under-recognized.

Tired of Poe, Twain, Melville and Hawthorne? Want some REAL 19th Century American fiction, NOT written by a boy, not moralistic or preachy or long-winded or creepy? Looking for grit and humor, with a flush of optimism? Read this!!

I highly recommend this edition. It contains an excellent and comprehensive forward on Orne Jewett, and a great selection of her works. I was very impressed by it.

The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett is a masterpiece of world fiction. True, nothing much happens in this novel. It is just a series of sketches about regular people in New England in the Nineteenth Century living out their daily lives. But in that simplicity lies the real beauty of the novel; Jewett finds beauty and meaning in the "small" happenings of "small" lives.The characterizations in this novel are delicate and well-developed. The prose is extremely clean and readable. The overall picture of the life in the village is magnificent. People from small towns (like myself) will certainly enjoy it the most. The Country of the Pointed Firs is a fantastic novel which ought to be read more often. It is rare to find a novel that creates such an epic scale by just looking through a small scope.

I thought that Sarah Orne Jewett's, The Country Of The Pointed Firs, was a highly creative and illustrative work of art. Jewett's depictive style of a calm and satisfying life, combined with breathtakingly beautiful detail, was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I could actually imagine myself on a desolate island of green fields and trees, while being surrounded by calm blue waters. Though repetitive, and dull at times, I found myself plunging within the depths of the book to uncover a wonderful, yet almost hidden meaning. The meaning of lonliness, and the satisfaction the characters find within the essence of their lonliness. Simple satisfactions like the beauty of the countryside, picking herbs and fishing, visiting family and friends, or recalling the memories of their lives past. The book began with the narrator, a writer who left the busyness of a hectic city, to discover the peacefulness of Dunnet Landing. The novel simply concludes with the narrator's regret of having to leave the island, in order that she return to her life in the city. On arrival at Dunnet Landing, the narrator encountered Mrs. Almiry Todd. While living as a guest in Mrs. Todd's home, she not only discovered the peacefulness of the countryside, but also the satisfaction that was found among its dwellers. As her stay progressed, the narrator developed a loving relationship with the island and its inhabitants. She encountered people like Mrs. Todd, William, Captain Littlepage, Mrs. Fosdick, the Bowden's, and of course, Mrs. Blackwell. The narrator also enjoyed engaging in conversations about people who once inhabited the island, like Johanna and Nathan. Throughout the book, the narrator discovered the calm and satisfying pleasures of enjoying the simple things in life. While putting aside the pleasures found within city life, she discovered the joy of picking herbs, recalling memories, visiting people, or just taking a walk. All in all, Jewett describes a novel about finding the satisfaction within a lonely life, a life that is characterized through maturity. The characters on the island portray lonliness, which is the basis of our human condition. However, despite their lonliness, the people of Dunnet Landing share strong bonds connected through families and friendships. Through the context of their isolation on Dunnet Landing, they are able to achieve the satisfaction of all desired nature. Finally, I thought that some readers were harsh in reviewing the book. If people would broaden their horizons by opening their minds and hearts to this passive style of writing, they might uncover a valuable perspective that one day they will cherish!